Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Hey there. My name is Jonathan. I'm a Singaporean, and I'm seventeen this year. I was directed to your blog recently by a close friend of mine. Living here is hell, and, after reading some of your articles, I must say that I fully agree with your views on Singapore and its "government".

I'm pretty sure you get letters like this everyday, but I just wanted to thank you for putting up your blog. Your blog is, in computer-gaming lingo, 'epic win', and I will most definitely be telling all of my friends about your blog. I have the utmost respect for you, and what you do.

Thanks, man. Peace.

Hello Jonathan,Good one, Jonathan. Keep up the good work.Thanks very much Sir

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Any Singaporean mother worth her salt, reading this blog must agree; it is criminal bringing up children in Singapore under this repressive dictatorial government.

A mother would want the best for her child. Education, confidence and the ability to live free; to exercise their minds to the fullest; the courage to challenge conventional wisdom; to think outside the box even if it is not what Lee Kuan Yew wants to hear; to call a rat a rat when he sees one; in other words, where the young child grows up in full control over his destiny, because of his ability, and not because it pleases Mr. Lee Kuan Yew.

I believe that any normal normal young man, confident of himself and his ability to succeed in a career; would be justifiably offended if told that he must live his life in accordance to the dictates of his government. That he must not question their actions for fear of government reprisals, such as defamation actions and bankruptcy.

Unfortunately in Singapore, the ability to live comes at an unbearable price; unbearable that is, for anyone with any self respect. It is impossible for a child to grow up in Singapore as a child would grow up, for instance in Australia. In Australia, in USA, Germany or any other democratic country; a child is told that being a human being comes with privileges; that is human rights. He is told that George Bush is not not his God; that as long as he is law abiding, he can question authority. His success depends on himself and not because he has not criticized Mr. George Bush. In this atmosphere of freedom to think and question, a child in the west grows up full of confidence, willing to take on challenges and realizing that the sky is the limit for him. Life itself becomes an adventure and full of excitement.

Not so for a Singapore child. Let alone the child; the Singapore parent herself lives in an stifling debilitating atmosphere of fear. Fear of her government. No matter what abuses the government perpetrates against its citizens, such as denying the rule of law and abusing legal process for political ends, she must be careful never to be seen or heard criticizing the government. If ever she did it, this small minded government will retaliate and she may be suffer in more ways than one.

The mother who is already in fear of her government makes sure that her child too grows up that way. Her advice to her child is not to criticise. To be careful no one sees or hears any criticism. Be as quite as possible, pass his exams and get a job, continuing in life being always careful not to offend Lee Kuan Yew, his son or their government.

A child like that grows into adulthood only to live very miserable lives; because there can be no doubt that living daily in fear of Lee Kuan Yew and his government cannot be a pleasant way to live.

The uneducated working classes may not realize what they are missing, since they are usually not aware of their rights. By government design, they are satisfied with what little they get, basic necessities and a little bit more and they are satisfied with that. In their case, ignorance is bliss after all.

But not in the case of educated men and women and their children. Living in fear of anyone, let alone Lee Kuan Yew and his son, must be a miserable way to live. Such people are not satisfied by bread alone. Life for them is an adventure and they want to experience it to the fullest. For such men and women, the more the challenges the more exciting the life. And it is these people that would find life in Singapore miserable.

For them, Singapore is their country, not Lee Kuan Yew's country and Lee being an elected official should take orders from them and not the other way around. They would like to remind Lee Kuan Yew to remember that it is they who are paying his wages through their hard earned taxes. And for their own good, it is about time they came down from their high horses and did what the people wanted, rather than striding all over the place like a bunch of gangsters.

This is how educated capable parents and children would preferably want to live. As proud men and women who refuse to be pushed around, especially not by the likes of Lee Kuan Yew or his son. But you know what the problem in Singapore is. If they did exercise their rights to question authority in Singapore, the Lee family shamelessly retaliates by false cooked up criminal charges and defamation actions brought before compliant judges.

Therefore this becomes an intolerable situation for educated families. What do you do in a case like this? Do you do the right thing and challenge Lee and his son, knowing that if you did, Lee, like a common gangster, will use dirty tricks to make life miserable for you? Or do you do nothing and live like a slave under Lee Kuan Yew; making slaves not only of yourselves but also your children? Or do you pack up and leave Singapore to settle in countries such as Australia?

If anyone even for a moment thinks that those who have achieved success through grovelling at the feet of Lee Kuan Yew are happy, is entirely mistaken. Take Lee Kuan Yew's chosen lawyers like the Sikh who is used to do his dirty work in suing Dr. Chee for defamation and the recently appointed Tamil lawyer as Minster for Law. I have no doubt that they live the most miserable lives imaginable. Both they and Lee Kuan Yew know each minute of the day as to what the arrangement between them is.

The Sikh must be prepared at any moment to carry out any dishonest work that is demanded of him, such as suing innocent people to please Lee Kuan Yew. As for the Tamil Minister, he must be prepared to pass as many unjust laws as demanded by his master Lee Kuan Yew. These are not free men. They are castrated eunuchs who willingly wait each day at Lee's court to do his dirty work. It is a disgusting life. Even if one is paid very well, this is not a job that any self respecting man or woman would want.

If the Singapore mother facing these difficult choices of either staying and becoming Lee's zombie in Singapore; or staying behind and fighting the system to live as free man and women willing to accept the concomitant trials, tribulations and punishment consequent thereon; or not wanting to go through the suffering and just pack up and leave for western democracies.

For any mother who loves her children, this is the difficult choice she has to make. And you have my sympathy for it.

And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.

Monday, April 28, 2008

The Singapore Democratic Party's website http://www.yoursdp.org/ of Monday April 28th 2008 in the astonishing story "Guess who's presiding over LKY's lawsuit hearing" reports that Judge Belinda Ang, High Court Judge will be presiding yet again over Lee's defamation case against Dr. Chee on May 12, 2008.

You will recall, in the earlier case brought on by the same Plaintiffs Lee Kuan Yew and son, this same disgusting political judge, in what was nothing more than a show trial before her, denied the Defendant Dr. Chee even the most basic right of a litigant; that of being allowed to present his case.

You will recall, in the most egregious case of judicial injustice ever imaginable, this shameless judge denied Dr. Chee any possible right to defend himself, by awarding judgement to Lee Kuan Yew without even a hearing! By the method called summary judgement, she delivered her verdict from her chambers without hearing a single witness!

Further you will recall, she refused any adjournment of the trial to permit Dr. Chee's lawyer to appear due to illness. Not only that, in violation of all judicial tenets of fair play, she engaged in a long private conversation with Lee's lawyer privately in Chambers in the absence of Dr. Chee; where she deliberately and repeatedly insulted and abused the honor and integrity of Dr. Chee, all of which was captured in the verbatim tapes of the court proceedings, which is presently in the physical possession of Dr. Chee.

Moreover, the entire case took only a few minutes after which she claimed she was satisfied that Dr. Chee had seriously maligned the reputation of Lee Kuan Yew and his son and awarded no less than one half million United States Dollars and promptly bankrupted him.

By no stretch of imagination can this woman Belinda Ang be considered a judge. She is, to borrow a phrase from JBJeyaretnam, the hatchet man or woman for Lee Kuan Yew and his son. She prostitutes herself to be used by Lee Kuan Yew to demolish his political opponents using the guise of the law. Although we already know that Singapore does not have any rule of law, Belinda Ang and her master Lee Kuan Yew appear as if they don't want us to forget it.

But what is astonishing is this. After this woman has brought even more shame to the legal system of Singapore, why is it necessary for Lee to use her again as the presiding judge in the upcoming case? It is as if Lee Kuan Yew is determined to remind Singaporeans and the world that Singapore does not have any rule of law.

Of course even without any hearing, we already know the verdict. Dr. Chee is yet again going to be found guilty. Yet again this woman will order him to pay another one half million US dollars to Lee Kuan Yew which he does not have. And yet again he will be made bankrupt. And all for nothing. All for merely exercising his constitutional right of freedom of speech.

In many ways Judge Belinda Ang is benefiting the Singapore opposition. With this news that it will be her hearing the case, another 400 lawyers will leave the profession which is already languishing for the lack of it; not wanting to practice in a country which abuses the law. New lawyers will be discouraged from entering the profession for the same reason. And foreign lawyers will not come to Singapore, not wanting anything to do with a lawless dictatorship. And Singapore will be shunned for any international legal work, the world preferring instead Sydney, Melbourne and Hong Kong.

Another 1000 educated Singaporeans will leave Singapore for Australia becoming more alarmed by the decline in the rule of law and what impact it will have on theirs and their children's futures.

The Western, European and Scandinavian countries are beginning to put pressure on other European countries and America to boycott Singapore in trade and commerce in order to punish them for their human rights transgressions. A large Swedish telephone company has indicated that they will not deal with Singapore, or have any plants there, as long as these human rights violations persist. I understand that other Scandinavian countries are similarly clamouring to punish Singapore's leaders Lee Kuan Yew comparing him to the dictator Robert Mugabe and some even saying that Robert Mugabe is a saint compared to him.

It is further expected, after reading this news, even more young people will leave for Australia before their national service and refuse to return, not wanting anything more to do with Singapore.

I expect several top European Members of Parliament, the Swedes, Norwegians, Danes and Finns, to condemn the Singapore government in their sittings urging further trade and economic sanctions against it to express their disgust.

If Lee thought even for a moment that he could use Belinda Ang, this dishonest woman to punish Dr. Chee and silence him, he cannot be more wrong. Going by Dr. Chee's indomitable stand against these bullies, never wavering, it will be another slap in the face of this woman Belinda Ang and another slap in the face for this government. They do not seem to understand that bullying people cannot make them win. In fact defeat is guaranteed.

And with that I thank Lee and his government for appointing this woman as the presiding judge in the forthcoming Lee defamation case. It is in fact another nail in the coffin for PAP.

And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

On Sunday April 27, 2008, Reuters the news service carried the story "Myanmar nationals protest constitution in Singapore".

Once again, these brave Burmese nationals have rightly ignored a Singapore law which requires a permit for any public gathering of more than 5 people. On Sunday, not 5 but 1,000 Burmese protesters had gathered outside the office of their Embassy without the necessary permit, while the Singapore police helplessly watched, unable to do anything while their protest laws were spat at before their very eyes. Lee Kuan Yew had described Singapore as a first world country. I have not heard of another who were incapable of enforcing their laws which were being broken beforetheir very eyes!

Mind you, this is not the first time the Burmese have done it. Only some months ago, Burmese in Singapore just as Burmese all over the world held protests at their embassies against the suppression of peaceful protesters in Burma by the military junta. Then too, they did not have permits and just as now; the Singapore police were unable to do anything against them then. Just as now, there were no arrests at all.

But this is not how the Singapore police deal with their own citizens in Singapore. Dr. Chee of the SDP and others of his party have been repeatedly arrested, charged and sent to prison for peacefully protesting. In their case, it is not that they did not apply for permits. Each time a peaceful protest was organized, they dutifully applied for permits as required by Singapore law, but each time, they were refused.

As you are already aware, the constitution of Singapore specifically gives the citizens the right of peaceful assembly. Therefore the separate statute that requires a permit for an assembly for 5 or more is clearly illegal and ultra vires the constitution. Therefor rightfully, the Singaporean protesters could have ignored the law as being illegal. But despite this, each time Dr. Chee and company dutifully apply for it, only to be denied each time. And each time they protest, peacefully without harming or hurting anyone, they are charged with criminal offenses, hauled to court and imprisoned.

You can see from this, that it is one set of laws for Burmese in Singapore who do not need permits to assemble in any numbers, let alone 5, but another set of laws for Singaporeans in their own country who are routinely sent to jail for doing just that!

This discriminatory use of the laws is unacceptable, illegal and violative of the Singapore constitution which mandates equal protection under the law.

Anyone watching all this must feel that if Singapore laws had any credibility, it was completely destroyed on Sunday April 27, 2008 when 1,000 Burmese braved Singapore's laws and deliberately broke them before the very eyes of the police who could do nothing but merely watch helplessly.

And any Singaporean watching this would be emboldened and empowered by the helplessness of these policemen; pick up courage to protest in numbers much greater than a 1,000 against the various injustices this government shamelessly mete out to them. Such as, the $3.7 million salaries per year of ministers while the poor starve; the inability of the government to stop the unbearable price rises for food and essentials; the indiscriminate import of foreign nationals to deliberately keep wages down for Singaporeans and the multitude of other injustices.

The police are helpless to enforce their own laws. Now is the time for you to drive home the message that you want something done about these injustices.

And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

The Singapore Democratic Party's website reported on April 18, 2008 the refusal of the police to return the cell phones of the TakBolehTahan protesters of March 15, 2008 and their warning that if they were not returned immediately, an action will be filed in court to recover them.

The Singapore government find themselves in an impossible situation, which usually happens when governments act arbitrarily instead of in compliance with the law. This is a situation where the government is helpless; a situation where heads they lose and tails the protesters win.

In the first place, the Singapore police had no legal basis to take the cell phones. Although it is true that police have wide latitude to preserve evidence that may have any bearing on a case, in this situation, where the protest had nothing to do with telephones; the police had clearly no basis to take them.

Having unlawfully taken them, the correct thing to do would be to return them immediately. But the Singapore government, in their determination not to be seen as weak, find this difficult to do. On the other hand, if the court hearing the claim orders against their return, they lose again, since it would be clear that the court has decided unlawfully.

So at the end, the government loses either way. If they return the cell phones, they will appear weak and indecisive. On the other hand, if they do not, they will be seen as having acted unlawfully.

You see the same situation in Mr. Wong Kan Seng's case. It is quite clear that as minister in charge of prisons, the escape of Mas SelamatKastari clearly places the blame squarely on him, as the responsible party. Therefore, the correct thing for him to do is to resign. But that would have made the government look weak in the face of the peoples demands for his resignation. So he refuses to resign. But by not resigning, the government suffers the same fate, since they are seen as an dictatorial administration totally indifferent to their responsibilities.

On a daily basis, this government is repeatedly telling the people that they do not care about the law; that they will do whatever they want. Recall the 4 man protest in front of CPF Building some years ago. Even though the protesters broke no law, since their number did not reach the threshold of 5 which would have required a permit, VK Rajah, a Singapore judge ordered, for want of any better reason, that protests were not allowed in Singapore, even though the constitution specifically allows it! An astonishing observation indeed!

This routine disregard of the law on a daily basis by this government continues to have far reaching deleterious consequences for them. It strengthens the belief in the average man that Singapore is no longer a country run by law. This unsavory fact spreads throughout the world causing other countries to worry that their contracts may not be protected under law; as a result of which trade suffers. Singaporeans worried about their future in a country that does not believe in law, emigrate, sending their children abroad for education with instructions not to return, thus aggravating the brain drain from the small island.

The lack of farsightedness in this government by their arbitrary unlawful actions give added credibility to the Singapore Democratic Party which continues to take this government to task on each injustice they perpetrate. In the end Singaporeans just as any other human around the world loses confidence in this government which can only accelerate its decline.

And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.

U raise some interesting points in your blog. The problem with S'poreans is that they have not experienced enough pain yet. because the buses run, the phone works, they have a roof over their heads (albeit an overpriced one), the electricity works, they have some job, etc. they think their lot is ok. They do not want to rock the boat and jeopardize this. They do not realise that things can be a lot better. Because they do not want to lose what they have, they tolerate the restrictions on them. In a situation like this, there is nothing you can do for them. Until they have suffered some form of widespread unemployment, or loss of the roof over their heads.

Your analogy of Aghans is not really the right one. Afghanistan is a shit hole with poor medical facilities, low life expectancy, poor economy, poor infrastructure, death and war everywhere. Even immigrating to S'pore would be substantial upgrade to their lot in Afghanistan. The appropriate comparison would be Taiwan or South Korea. Where an established industrialized country overthrew the KMT, and the military junta respectively.

But let's say that your wish does come thru, and there is a groundswell of democracy in S'pore. Do u really think the PAP will let it play out and chance losing power? They will suspend all pretence of democracy and impose martial law before it comes to that. Why? The reason is that the PAP are so corrupt, in particular the Lee and Kwa families, with graft, conflicts of interest, etc. going back decades. Any new opposition government would immediately investigate them, and jail and the loss of their holdings will be a very real possibility.

I think its quite naive for you to say that they should get embolden and demand their rights and all that. The reality is that there will be blood in the streets before the PAP will relinquish power. And are the people prepared to go that far given their current docile state? Doubtful.

Regards,JS

Singapore Dissident's replyDear Joe Seck, Thank you very much for your comment on my blog post of April 24, 2008. These are some of the questions in the minds of some Singaporeans and you give me the opportunity to answer them. In your first paragraph, your argument is that; because Singaporeans have the benefit of basic necessities of life without undue hardship, they will not dare to take the step of demanding change. This observation of yours was correct perhaps even 10 years ago, but no longer now in a large section of the population. For the uneducated illiterate peasant of the 1960s your argument is entirely correct. Without education, skills, and English, what else can they do? Half a loaf is better than none. But no longer in the Singapore of 2008. You have a large section of young educated skilled articulate well traveled Singaporeans. To them it is not enough that the trains run on time. In addition to that, they want to be free. And they can afford it. They are entitled to it. They are demanding it. It is this growing number of articulate educated affluent young people who will not be satisfied with half a loaf. They want it all. And if you are one of them, as I can see you are, join them at the coming petition signing occasion of Tak Boleh Tahan at Toa Payoh on May the 1st, 2008. Contact the SDP. As to your second paragraph, I think you have misunderstood my reference to Afghanistan . I was referring to the fact that I have met people from A to Z of countries in the world. The reference to Afghanistan was merely to highlight this point, and not particularly in reference to the character and politics of Afghanistan . For the alphabet A, I could have used Australia or Antarctica , instead. But not to dismiss the Afghanis, my point as to the Afghans remains correct. I was not referring to the poverty or backwardness of the Afghanis, but their courage and self respect, much more than Singaporeans. For instance, if Hamid Kharzai paid himself $3.7 million a year in salary; unlike the Singaporeans, the Afghans would not have tolerated it for one day. Coming to your third paragraph, your prediction that the PAP will not walk away peacefully in the event of political defeat may be true, since Lee Kuan Yew appears by all accounts to have lost his bearings and his son does not seem to have any at all. If the PAP did what you suggest in that eventuality, and I would not be suprised if they did, it would be the most idiotic, self defeating, self destructive act they could ever have done. All this talk of marital law and so on may work in a remote self sufficient agrarian country like Zimbabwe or Cambodia . Larger countries, not a small island with 4 million people who rely on international trade for a living. If as you suggest, Lee in his desperation did what you suggest, he and his family will be the only remaining humans in the island of Singapore . And that is unlikely to be beneficial to Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, his wife and children and all his relatives and great uncles. Thank you Sir.Gopalan NairFremont, CaliforniaApril 26, 2008

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Those fighting for a more democratic society in Singapore must introduce it first to the ordinary man. Once that is done, the government will automatically fall into place. In Singapore, democracy has to take root from bottom up, not from top down. Making brilliant Winston Churchill speeches in Parliment is unlikely to bring real change. You first have to awaken an entire Singapore population that has been numbed into wholesale submission.

Having lived abroad for many years, and through my work as an immigration lawyer met people from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, the entire alphabet of countries, I will tell you an astonishing fact. The Singaporean stands out as a totally different species from any other human being in the world.

For instance, no matter if you are an Afghan, a Hottentot or a Pygmy, one thing is certain. If a Prime Minister of any country pays himself $3.7 million a year and several million more a year in hidden perks, while the average person earns no more than $2,000.00 a month, such as the case in Singapore; there is not a single breathing human being anywhere in the world who would not have picked up his cudgel or sickle of whatever he had at hand, marched to the Prime Ministers office to demand an answer to this outrage and would have refused to leave until he got it.

Believe me, this is normal human behaviour for an Afghan, a Belgian, a Canadian, a Dane, an Eskimo, a Finn, a German, a whatever. But in Singapore, except for the Internet where there is a great deal of criticism, but mind you, with everyone engaged in it being anonymous through fear; there is not a single soul in the entire island with enough courage to even so much as raise a whimper!

Singaporeans just like other humans around the world are taxpayers too. But all other taxpayers, since they are taxpayers to repeat the obvious; would demand an explanation as to how their taxes are being spent. Are you wasting it, through objectionably high salaries for Ministers, for scholarships for foreigners while denying it to Singapore children, training foreigners for jobs while Singaporeans are neglected? These are questions that any other human being taxpayer will ask; that is, any other human being except a Singaporean!

For one or more reasons, the Singaporean over the years has become entirely subdued, submissive and obedient. Such people are not conducive and do not comport with a democratic society, because for democracy to thrive, you first have to have an emboldened people. A people who refuse to take no for an answer when the inequity is obvious, such as, to take one example, million dollar ministerial salaries.

Take prisoner Mas SalamatKastari who recently escaped from his illegal detention at Whitley Detention Center; illegal by reason of the absence of any criminal charges filed against him for 2 long years, where criminal jurisprudence requires the release of a suspect after just 48 hours in the absence of a charge.

Despite the fact that we have been publicly told of nothing less than gross negligence, even criminal recklessness of the facility's guards in enabling the escape through an open window panel, no government official has yet been willing to take responsibility. The minister responsible has publicly stated that he does not care what people think of him and will not resign!

Now any other human being, even if he happens to be a Hottentot who inhabits the remotest parts of the German South West African bush, would have by now run amok demanding justice! But not so in quiet and obedient Singapore. From last I heard, there is not even a single miserable Singaporean except for the handful of brave protesters, raising a single complaint.

In a society like Singapore where the people have been numbed into a sense of helplessness and tolerance, no amount of democratic institutions will actually change anything. As the saying goes, you can take a horse to water, you cannot make him drink. If a Singaporean is determined not to have freedom, no amount of persuasion can make him accept it.

Therefore as I said in my last post, The Singapore Parliament is a white elephant; getting more opposition members to enter Parliament is unlikely to bring about any real change. Somehow the opposition has to work on trying to embolden and empower the Singaporean. Once that is done, the people, through their demands will resurrect the Phoenix of democracy.

The first thing to do is to remove the fear which shrouds each Singaporean keeping him in his straitjacket; by telling him that his fear is unnecessary; that his fear is merely an illusion designed to keep him satisfied; that the government is nothing more than a toothless tiger if you think of it; that they really cannot sack and dismiss everyone from their jobs or imprison everyone and beat everyone. And once the ordinary man realises this, the taxi driver realises this, the Chinese sausage maker realises this, the Malaybelachan maker realizes this, the Indian Mama Prataman (not the President) realises this, then you have it made.

If you can manage that, you will find this government suddenly becoming more representative, more concerned and more humble. It will all automatically come about. All you have is to change the mindset of the Ah Kow, the Ahmat or the Ravi; you would have changed society and a democracy will come about overnight.

In order to achieve this, you have to embolden each and every Singaporean not to accept injustice and stand his ground, like I said in my last post. The opposition needs to have a hot line and a member on standby to take the complaints of the citizens, keeping ready for deployment a group of willing protesters with ready cameras and placards, ready to be deployed at any offending location where the injustice has occurred to stage their protest. It may be the HDB office which has denied justice to a tenant, a CPFmember who was not paid, a taxi driver protesting high taxi rents or gasoline and so on. In other words, protesting has to become a pivotal exercise in the opposition's work for democratic change.

In the present difficult circumstances that Singaporeans face, with high food costs, low salaries, fewer jobs, heavy unemployment, the ground is ripe to be worked for this purpose. There are growing numbers that have been pushed to the limit of their suffering who may be ready to be empowered. I think the opposition should take advantage of the situation and start moving now.

And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.

I stumbled upon you blog today as I was Googling on the local sentiments of the recent Parlaimentary Report on the Mas Selamat escape.

A you may have guessed, Singaporeans are skeptical but not bothered to say the least. I guess that's what one can expect when dictators rule people's lives entirely and shut them out from all mode of participation.

The blam appears to fall squarely on Wong Kan Seng, our million dollar minister. Parlaiment proceeding were all so funny. Like a circus.

But that's not why I'm decided to write to you about.

The reason I'm writing to you is I have long been considering immigrating from this s**t hole I was born in. I'm marrried to a foreigner and as such have an avenue to depart. The only things that's left is my remaining HDB mortgage.

At the rate they're raising the with drawal age and limits, I've long concluded that I'll never smell my CPF unless I relingquish my Singapore Citizenship. I really do wish there were another way. But I don't think so. But I must say that it's quite a big and scary decision giving up my citizenship. But many other who have goe before me proves that's there is a better life out there.

I was hoping if I could turn to you for little advise much later on, when the need arises.

Meanwhile, I'll just go about my life in Singapore as quietly as I can.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

If you ever thought Singapore is a parliamentary democracy, it is not. It is a one party state, with Lee Kuan Yew's PAP in power since 1959, no less than 50 years; and with him wielding absolute power and authority. It is a dictatorship.

It is true, Singapore has a Parliament with elections held every five years, but in truth these have no real effect at all. All civil institutions including the judiciary, the civil service, the police and the media take their orders directly from Lee Kuan Yew. To Lee, Parliament is merely a nuisance.

The Singapore opposition should not raise their hopes if they win additional Parliamentary seats other than the miserable 2 they presently have. Even with 10, 20 or even 30 seats, and regardless of how many Parliamentary speeches they make; as long as Lee has a Parliamentary majority of one, he will still call the shots, because he alone has civil society under his thumb.

And even, in the unlikely chance that the opposition wins a parliamentary majority, it is more than likely that Lee will still continue to rule, because, as was said, the institutions that matter, the judiciary, the civil service, and everything else take their orders from this man.

If you realize the gravity of the situation, you may feel, and rightly so, that Singapore is a hopeless case. That you are destined by Providence to live as Lee's slaves and there is nothing you can do about it. But this is not so, and there is hope; abundant hope.

The way to bring about change in today’s Singapore is not by winning seats in Parliament, even though it is good; it is by demanding justice from each institution of government, and holding them to account for each transgression of your rights.

This is what has to be done. If a Malay or Indian is not permitted to reside at the place of his choice by the HDB because of illegal racial quotas violative of the Constitution, the aggrieved citizen should refuse to accept it, and protest against it; taking pictures and videos of his protest and putting them up in blogs throughout the island, publicly exposing the injustice.

The idea is to embarrass the government where they clearly are violative of your rights. The constitution provides for equality and prohibits racial discrimination. And in such a case, this government would find it impossible to justify the discrimination.

If a citizen is illegally deprived of his CPF retirement savings, the aggrieved citizen should refuse to take no for an answer, protest at the very spot, take pictures and videos of it and post it all over the Internet.

If a Singaporean is deprived of his job because he was displaced by a foreigner willing to accept lower pay, he should stand outside Ministry of Manpower or other ministry and protest his loss of a job, take pictures of it and post it on the Internet.

If the Tak Boleh Tahan protestors of March 15, 2008 have still not been returned their cell phones which the police had illegally confiscated, they should protest outside Cantonment Police Station and not leave until their cell phones are returned, photograph and film the entire protest and put it up on blogs all over the island.

If you see an employer discriminating against older workers, protest at the spot, take pictures of it and post it all over the island.

The purpose of this exercise is to shame these public institutions into respecting the law and treating everyone fairly and impartially. At present, the HDB feel they can discriminate against Malays and Indians because Lee has ordered them to do it; their illegal actions become lawful because of Lee's authority over them. The same with the CPF violating the law, the Ministry of Manpower and every other public institution.

It is quite clear that Lee's main tool to remain in absolute dictatorial control is his absolute power over the judges and the newspapers. If Singaporeans protest outside the state controlled newspaper offices, they will be shamed by their misdeeds being exposed through blogs and videos.

It appears to me, the energy of those opposing this one man dictatorship should be directed to the institutions of civil society such as the judiciary to force them to stop oppressing the citizens. In order to do this, technology has turned out to be a Godsend. The power of the Internet is something authoritarian governments cannot overcome, and citizens should use it to the fullest to force their governments to see reason.

The Internet has in fact made a great difference for the better even in authoritarian Middle Eastern countries. I have heard in Egypt, even a country under the iron grip of Mubarak, had to concede a little, when a blogger took a video of the police arresting some people and abusing them with their batons, and put it up on his website. Immediately thereafter, his website began to get several thousand hits each day, with almost the entire country up in arms about the incident, forcing the Mubarak government to take action against those officers. Were it not for the blog, nothing would have happened to the policemen.

Riad al-Turk, a Syrian opposition leader suffered many years of imprisonment for his opposition to the government. But with the Internet exposing the injustice publicly, the Syrian government eventually had no choice but to release him.

It is for these reasons that the Lee Kuan Yew government is terrified of public protests. In Singapore, a small built up, completely wired island, which depends on international trade and business; any adverse publicity involving the denial of human rights can be very damaging. And realizing this, the opposition should take full advantage of this and push this government to its limit of either accepting the truth or resisting it at their peril.

They are now clearly in the defensive as their actions show. You will recall, some years ago at the CPF protests in front its offices in Robinson Road, to disperse a mere 4 unarmed peaceful protestors holding nothing more than placards, the police officer John Baptist, a man totally undeserving of such a biblical name, deployed his Red Maria Police vans with about 50 armed police in full riot gear!

When such an over reaction, almost comical, on the part of the police was captured on camera and prominently displayed all over Singapore on the Internet, they realized that they had egg on their faces. Ever since then, even for the larger protest of 50 at Tak Boleh Tahan, the police began to use the soft touch instead; this time no riot police, no police uniforms and women plain clothes police were used to arrest the protestors!

This government is finding it increasing difficult to deny the legitimate demands of its citizens when their actions are being glaringly exposed to public scrutiny through the Internet. This is something this government cannot overcome since it cannot stop the Internet. No matter what, the Internet is here it stay and Lee whether he like it or not has to live with it. And he is finding that increasingly uncomfortable.

Since Dr. Chee's party now has extensive experience in organizing protests, protestors could collaborate with him to hold it at the offending location, pre-arrange with video cameraman and photographers and immediately put up the images on the Internet. If the protests attract police retaliation, their injustice can be visually exposed. It is my belief that if this done on a sustained basis, this or any other oppressive government will have to listen. They have no choice.

Trying to change Singapore through winning more Parliamentary seats may eventually be possible. Change may happen if Lee is dead or if the opposition wins a majority. But if you want to make it happen a little faster, protest take pictures and keep embarrassing this government. That way, you leave them no choice.

Gopalan Nair39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1Fremont, CA 94538, USATel: 510 657 6107Fax: 510 657 6914Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.comBlog: http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters tonair.gopalan@yahoo.comAnd if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.

Monday, April 21, 2008

The state controlled TV media in Singapore, Channellnewsasia reports on April 20, 2008 that Lee Kuna Yew's new stooge, Mr. K Shanmugam, the Law Minister is going to solve problems facing the legal profession, among which, I suppose is its fast declining numbers.

The legal profession in Singapore now consists of a grand total of no more than 3,400 lawyers in a supposedly international city state, with a population of 4.5 million; which claims, among other nice things, international trade banking and commerce as its mainstay. A small number for a supposedly international city! Even more shocking is that this figure of 3,400 lawyers was the same 10 years ago in 1997 when the population was only 3.5 million! While the population increased by more than a million, and business increased 10 fold, the number of lawyers in fact declined on a relative basis!

There has to be something inherently wrong with the profession for lawyers to be resigning in droves with no new entrants. About a third of Singapore lawyers who are above 50 are either refusing to renew their practicing certificates and retiring or emigrating, causing the numbers to shrink even further.

Of course, you cannot expect anything much from a state controlled newspaper like Channellnewsasia, let alone telling the truth, but we all know what the reasons are.

Lawyers just as the common man, see the judiciary as corrupt and beholden to Lee Kuan Yew, Judge Belinda Ang being a recent example when she ordered Dr. Chee Soon Juan, a critic of the ruling Lee, bankrupt even without a trial. Everyone knows that if Lee Kuan Yew or his family members are parties to a suit, their victory is guaranteed. A profession which is supposed to be noble has turned into a bunch of bootlickers and trumpeters. Naturally, in these unhappy circumstances, no one with any self respect would want either to remain in the profession or join it.

In this newspaper report, 2 of Lee's sycophants, Miss Indranee Rajah, a Member of Parliament in Lee's government and naturally a high flying lawyer and another Mr. Subhas Anandan, President of Criminal Lawyers, similarly successful (what else did you expect) are both full of praise for K Shanmugam, the new minister, that one would have thought that he was the best thing that happened, after Jesus Christ!

According to Mr. Anadan, Mr. Woon, another stooge recently appointed the Attorney General is the ablest man that ever lived and if he was ever outdone, it can only be by Shanmugam!

Listening to them, it seems as if Singapore lawyers are totally incapable of anything, having to wait for a godsend like K Shanmugam to solve all their problems! What are they anyway, children?

The truth is this. Even if either of them wants to do anything about anything, they cannot. They are highly paid stooges, their job being, to run the system in a way that their comfortable positions and that of their master Lee is safeguarded at all times, ensuring laws restricting political freedoms are kept firmly in place and enforced, so that Dr. Chee, and any other political aspirant, can be repeatedly sent to prison for public speeches.

Channelnewsasia can of course say anything they want as the joke in the former Soviet Union about their news organizations, Pravda and Izvestia. They used to say that "Pravda has no truth and Izvestia has no news". Pravda means truth and Izvestia means news! Exactly the same with Singapore state controlled papers.

In the Singapore legal profession, you have 2 groups of lawyers. One, you can call the exclusive club of government connected lawyers in the large firms; members and supporters of Lee's party. Since the majority of well paying work in Singapore comes from the government, as the government controls large sectors of the country's business; this work goes to them.

They get favorable treatment in the courts as well. As a major part of judge’s duties in the island, include the destruction of Lee's opponents through court cases, naturally they look upon themselves as part of a team with Lee and lawyers who are similarly connected to him.

Regardless of whether their cases have any merit, government connected lawyers invariably win. Judges are no longer concerned about a loss to their reputation by these politically biased judgments. Since the rule of law is non existent, which is now public knowledge, they are quite prepared to blatantly continue abusing it to favor the government and their connections. Singapore has, you could say, a third world legal system, with deep seated corruption and nepotism.

The lawyers outside of Lee's connected circle hardly have any work. Many even find it difficult to pay their office rents for their cheap premises they rent in front of the Subordinate Court called Peoples Park Complex. Due to their lack of establishment connections, either because they are not prepared to prostrate themselves, or because they tried to join Lee's party but were refused; whatever the reason, they remain at a disadvantage in whatever they do.

In court, regardless of the merits, they are bound to lose facing an establishment lawyer. Judges don’t show any respect for them at all. As a result they lose their client’s cases. And with repeated loss of cases, their practice dries up. To make matters worse, they only get clients who have no money; and therefore these lawyers are paid almost nothing; since had they been rich, they would have gone to a government connected lawyer.

In this hopeless situation they find it impossible to make ends meet. So they retire, which further contributes to the decline in numbers.

So it is a catch 22 situation. A vicious cycle, where PAP (government party) patronage and approval is necessary to succeed. A shameful existence indeed, but regrettably the only way to do it in Lee's Singapore. The sort of success you see in trumpeters, who trumpet Lee Kuan Yew and his government, the sort like Miss Rajah and Mr. Anandan.

Without the introduction of the rule of law, it is impossible to improve the lot of the miserable lawyers in the cubicles of Peoples Park Complex.

And then they talk of bringing in more foreign lawyers. No doubt at all that these foreigners will get the best paying work. But in no time, they will be reading Dr. Chee's blog and this blog and realize, if they did not already, that Singapore is indeed Lee's dictatorship. One man rule. A banana republic, with no rule of law, no constitution and Lee Kaun Yew and his son strutting around like 2 prize roosters, beating up everyone that comes in their way.

And knowing this, the foreigners too will leave taking with them the bitter truth of what Singapore truly is, with a new bunch of foreigners to take their places, when they too will leave. And to ensure the foreigners and Singaporeans are made aware of the truth about Singapore, this blog will continue with its pages.

And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

I'm a Singaporean born and bread who still doesn't not see the necessity to pull out of Singapore. It is not that I'm not disgusted with the PAP. I'm in a comfort zone in my country of origin. As long as I don't dabble in politics I know I can co exist with the entity called the PAP monolith. You made a comment about how we should protest to make a change in stead of believing in the electoral process.What is going to happen to my family Mr Nair if I'm arrested in a protest. Who is going to put food on the table for my family to eat Mr Nair?

Did you ever thing of such mundane things when you try to force Singaporeans to come out of their stupor.Would you send my family money while I'm in jail when I get arrested for protesting against the PAP government. For common people like me the electoral process is our only hope. The PAP cannot ruin that for us because the PAP has something to prove to the western democratic world.I hope you can enlighten me on my view on this logic of mine.

Joshua Kums

Dear Mr. Joshua Kums,

I thank you you very much for your Email and your excellent question. This answer that I give is not only for you but for the countless Singaporeans who dabble with this very same question.

You say that even though you dislike the PAP, you are preapred to co-exist with them because you have no other choice, since protest might ruin your livelihood. Your outlook to life is to accept tyranny becasue you believe you have no choice. Others who have more pride and self respect would say the hell with it, I am not prepared to live like a slave and protest. Personally it is your choice to make. If you are comfortable living like a slave, which in fact is how Singaporeans live, it is your prerogative and no one can stop you. So my calls for protest, would obvioulsy not convince you, but there are a growing number of Singaporeans, who like the famous American pioneer, who said, "Give me liberty, or give me death" and are beginning to say that business cannot go on as usual. Something has got to give; and that is Lee's tyranny.

You fear that you will lose your job and your family will suffer if you protest. And you ask if I can send you money if you and your family become destitute because of it. To a large extent, in fact, your fear is unfounded. Singapore is a small country with limited number of people. Civil sevants clerks taxi drivers and so on. Lee cannot afford to sack and terminate everyone from their jobs. If they did, Signapore cannot function.

If there are only a handful, perhaps the fear may be there. But in numbers, the fear goes away.

At the Tak Boleh Tahan, there were 50 people. Among the 50 there were businessmen, taxi drivers and even one University Professor, Mr. John Tan. All of them still keep their jobs. And I expect at the next and repeated protests after that I expect the numbers of protestors to swell.

You see Mr. Kums, whichever way you look at it, the oppositon can only win. This is because justice is on their side. $3.7 million a year. No CPF. Unlimited immigrants lowering wages. Government policies deliberatley raising food costs while GLCs milk profits upon profits.

You need some courage and sacrifice if you truly believe in a cause. If not, just live the way you do, in bondage. It is not for me to tell you how you should live your life. And not forgetting, what sort of value systems you want your children to have.

Thank you again Sir.

Gopalan NairFremont, CaliforniaApril 20, 2008Letter from Adriel Jamil

Sunday April 20, 2008Dear Mr. Nair,

My name is Adriel Jamil, Sinagporean age 53 and have no political affiliation.But I believe in justice for all regardless of thier backgound or plitical inclination.

I have read your blog with great interest. I've found it to be bold and written with passion, reflecting your love for the country and people of Singapore.

Can I have permission to use your article in your blog? Sometimes I may 'copy and paste' in my newly created blog.

The Reform Party Party's official beginning with Jeyaretnam's full return to politics and a clear indication that it will work with Dr. Chee'sSDP is all very good news. The question now is, what is the plan?

Lets look at Singapore now. Lee controls every possible organ of power, the judiciary, the press, the media, everything. Therefore regardless of whether Jeyaretnam wins a seat at the next election or even the SDP winning 4 seats will make no difference at all. You know the pattern already. If the opposition winners are of the calibre of Francis Seow or Dr. Chee, they will not be allowed to take their seats in Parliament. Before its sitting, Lee would have organized a libel suit and the worthy opponent would be worthy no more, by being kicked out of Parliament through bankruptcy.Jeyaretnam has been in politics for a long time. With all due respect given to him; except for taking great punishment at the hands of Lee, he has not managed to further democracy in Singapore at all. If at all, Jeyaretnam had caused Lee to tighten the screws even more. For instance, during his time, Privy Council appeals were abolished and across the board, laws became harsher with increased punishments.

And as long as Lee continues to have a majority of even one in Parliament, he will continue to do whatever he wants, because all the pillars of government that matter; the judiciary, the media, the finance everything, remains under his absolute control. Regardless of how much wisdom there is in their cause, or how many speeches they make in Parliament, Lee can just ignore it and there is nothing that Jeya or Dr. Chee can do, since the courts and everybody else are beholden to Lee, not to Parliament or to the truth.

So if all what Jeya hopes to do is to stand for elections, win one seat for himself, enter Parliament and make his speeches for 5 years, I really don't think Lee would object at all. In fact Lee may even facilitate Jeya's victory this time, since there is nothing for them to lose. Lee can give Jeya time to talk. And Lee will just ignore it, for another 5 years! It would be the same if Dr. Chee got into Parliament.

What we have to understand is; that the power in Singapore, lies not in Parliamentary speeches; it lies in the pillars of power; which so happens, all of them being beholden to Lee and Lee alone. It lies in the newspaper. You have to convince the paper to be impartial, which it is not. It lies in the judiciary. You have to convince the judiciary to be impartial, which it is not. You have to convince the police force that it is not the private security of Lee Kuan Yew. Convince the civil service to be fair. Convince the colleges to be fair. Convince the HDB not to discriminate against the Malays and Indians. Convince the Civil Service not to issue visas for unlimited numbers of immigrants from China, because it is these pillars where the power actually lies. The question is, how do you do it?

It is impossible to make the aforementioned organizations impartial by speeches in Parliament. They are not going to listen. So what do you do?

The bigger and important task in bringing about democracy is to instill a sense of fairness in these people. A realisation that they are not beholden to Lee as they think. Without that realization, no amount of speeches in Parliament can bring that about. Change has to come by forcing these organizations to realize that what they do is wrong. So I come back to where I started. The answer lies in protests.

Protest outside the courts demanding justice and fairness. Protest outside Straits Times demanding impartiality in reporting. Protest outside the Civil Service demanding equal treatment. Protest outside the HDB demanding an end to discrimination against the Malays and Indians. Protest outside the Official Assignee demanding a reversal of Dr. Chee's bankruptcy. Protest outside the Istana demanding a reduction in the million dollar salaries of ministers.

And these protests must be sustained and not let up until your demands are met. I have no doubt in my mind that every civil servant, every judge, every clerk, everyone, every Singaporean, deep in their hearts, is in fact very much on the side of the opposition. If they act in a manner prejudicial and unfair towards the opposition, it is because they fear Lee Kuan Yew. Sustained protests demanding justice, will I believe, have a redeeming and salving effect on them and they will, in the end mend their ways and become honest men and women.

In fact the opposition, by which I means the Singapore Democratic Party and the Reform Party should concentrate firstly on these sustained protests to bring these pillars of power to see reason. This is the fundamental and first objective. Only the second objective is entering Parliament.

The people of Singapore are confusing the Parliamentary system there, which in fact it is not, to the parliamentary system in countries such as the UK. In the UK, the courts newspapers and the civil service are all independent. Moreover the power lies in the people, who are fully aware of their rights. In Singapore, everything is in the hands of Lee. And therefore Parliament means very little or nothing.

My message to the opposition is this. Work on the institutions on the ground first. Make them realise their duty to justice and equality. While this work goes on, work on Parliament.

And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.

My name is Ernest Chen and I am a Singaporean student studying in Singapore and I am 15 this year. I have been faithful in reading your blog entries since the start of this year and I really enjoy your critical comments on Singapore and the government. I really agree that living in Singapore is unbearable and I am sure that you would be delighted to know that not all students are brainwashed by the Singapore's regimented education system.

Hence, I would like to ask for permission for the use of your blog entries. Of course, I will not copy chunks of words from your blog, instead, I will want to use your ideas, and come out with essays on my own, using my own words. The idea and structure will be resemble yours, but the the words I use will be simpler as my target is to students like me.

So again, I would like to ask for your permission to adapt your posts to put them on my blog. I hope you would consider allowing me to do so.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

In the article of the state controlled Singapore newspaper the Straits Times of April 14, 2008 "Outstanding work of security agencies should not be overlooked: Jayakumar"; instead of the glowing and flowery praise that he freely bestows on the Singapore Internal Security Department (ISD), it should instead be condemned and the department shut down!

He says, the Singapore people should forgive the ISD for permitting Mas Salamat Kastari to escape from Whitely Detention Facility recently because one small blemish should not detract from the good work they have done over many years; for which, he claims, they should be given credit.

He claims the ISD has done excellent work in keeping Singapore safe by, among other remarkable achievements; foiling the attacks from the Communists, the Japanese Red Army, Tamil Tigers, the Palestine Liberation Organization and more recently the Jama Islamia! Very well said and done, but how come none of us have heard any of this?

Well the sly Jayakumar, having anticipated this justifiable question in light of the obvious facts, conveniently says " Most of the time, however, the men and women of the ISD work away from the public eye". Very convenient indeed Mr. Jayakumar, and perhaps that explains why we have never heard of the ISD's bravery and superhuman exploits against the Tamil Tigers and the PLO and the various other fearsome organizations that he mentions! Or is it because none of it happened; all of it being a figment of his vivid imagination!

But we have heard a lot about the ISD, otherwise. The state controlled newspaper the Straits Times in 1988, had several full pages of its propaganda sheets dedicated exclusively to an opposition politician, Francis Seow, who was detained there, all because he threatened to contest the 1988 national elections against Lee Kuan Yew! Far from being a threat to national security, the only threat posed by Francis Seow was to Lee Kuan Yew's position as Prime Minister in the upcoming elections. A complete misuse of the ISD, you may say. Instead of being used to defend against threats to the State, it is an instrument misused by this government to destroy Lee's political opponents.

We also read extensively, thanks to the state controlled paper which again devoted several full pages to the arrest detention and torture in 1987, by the Internal Security Department of 22 men and women who were working for social causes in Singapore, conveniently dubbed "The Marxist Conspirators" by Lee Kuan Yew.

Again these people were no threats to the state, but only to Lee's illegal hold on power. They were a group of highly educated young men and women, including lawyers and doctors and priests who felt the need to help the poor and needy, by organizing programs throughout the island in social work. Unfortunately, Lee Kuan Yew felt that these people were too good for him to handle; they may become a threat to his position as Singapore's dictator, and ordered their detention under the ISD; where they were tortured and abused for more than a year. After their eventual release, a few of them remained in Singapore and others escaped to Hong Kong and various other countries, never to return.

We have also heard of the arrest of Lim Chin Seong, a political opponent of Lee Kuan Yew who was detained, tortured and beaten by the ISD, eventually being released into exile and finally driven to his death. We have also heard another man who also had the pleasure of living in Whitley Detention Center under the auspices of Lee Kuan Yew. Second to Nelson Mandela, the legendary former South African president and freedom fighter; Mr. Chia Thye Poh was detained tortured beaten and kept in solitary confinement for 26 years, a runner up for the position of world's longest serving political prisoner! Lim Chin Seong and Chia Thye Poh were not a danger to national security. But they were threats to Lee Kuan Yew's position as Prime Minister.

These facts we know. But we do not know what was on with the PLO, the Tamil Tigers, the Japanese Army, the Indian National Army, the Symbionese Liberation Army and Maoists of Nepal and how even remotely, any of them had anything to do with the Singapore ISD, except for what Jayakumar is telling us. But oops, I forgot. You see, according to Jayakumar, it is all hush hush. You are not supposed to know!

But wait a minute! If it was all hush hush, why was pages upon pages of the Straits Times dedicated exclusively to the arrest and detention and torture of Mr. Francis Seow and the Marxist Conspirators?

I am going to say this to Jayakumar. Stop giving us this whole load of humbug. We are tired of it. Admit it. The Singapore Internal Security Department and the Whitely Detention Center are only good at arresting detaining torturing and obtaining forced confessions from Lee Kuan Yew's peaceful and law abiding political opponents; honest decent human beings. And it is done purely to maintain the dictatorial rule of Lee Kuan Yew; not to thwart any dangerous threat to state security; and never has it ever been used for that purpose.

And far from these arrests by the ISD being hush hush, each time someone is arrested, the state controlled newspaper, the Straits Times, goes into top gear, with fanfare and drum beat, to devote almost the entire paper to these arrests, not just for one day but for several days at a time.

As far as what Singaporeans know in their entire lifetime; the ISD and the Whitley Detention Center has been used for one purpose and one purpose alone, that is to keep Lee Kuan Yew and his family in power. Lee uses these ISD officers to abuse his fellow citizens by arresting and torturing them because Lee wants them out of his way. A shameful man, Lee Kuan Yew and shameful ISD officers who do his dirty work for him.

With years upon years of shame, the ISD and Whitley Detention Center where these abuses are carried out on a daily basis, now stand thoroughly discredited. Just as Evin Prison outside of Tehran in 1979 where the Shah tortured his opponents with electric shocks and all manner of brutality; just as Abu Garib detention facility in Baghdad where innocent men and women were stripped naked and made to face threatening dogs; just as the Gulag in Russian Siberia where Stalin tortured his political opponents; so too stands the dreaded Whitley Detention Center, in disgrace, in shame and in infamy.

The Whitley Detention stands as a shame to the State of Singapore and like the infamous dreaded Devil's Island in French Guiana, the sooner it is shut down the better.

And Mr. Jayakumar, could you please stop giving us anymore fairy tales.

And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Despite the high rate of economic development in totalitarian countries such as China and Singapore; one thing is certain. No matter how much they try; their suppression of free speech and expression, an essential element for the rise of nations; will prevent them from ever overtaking free liberal democracies of the world.

Suppression of free speech gives them an initial advantage; to execute public policies and projects faster than in democracies; because time is not wasted on public debate and criticism. This permits better focus; drastically reducing time from conception of public policies to completion; whereas in democracies, time consuming public debate and participation slows the speed at which public policy is executed.

Although execution of policy is more more efficient and speedier in dictatorships, their eventual work product will always remain inferior to that of democracies. In democracies, because of the mutual respect that the governments have for their people, and the people for their government; the government and the people are in a healthy partnership, both committed to their country and striving for its betterment. Both considering themselves equal partners in the common objective to advance their country.

In democracies, the government correctly realises that the people are an asset in their work of governance, and not an impediment, like they are looked upon in Singapore. Democratic governments believe that the people being intelligent and rational have valuable contributions to make in governance; in new ideas, in criticism, in approval, in approbation. Therefore these governments count themselves lucky when they have a better educated population as they can now benefit from a larger pool of ideas and wisdom. In democracies, the people and their government are two prongs of the whole, each complementing the other for the common purpose of advancement of their country.

That is why in free societies there is constant debate, constant exchange of ideas, a free press, free expression, society puling together, society pulling apart; but all the time advancing through the input of the people and the government and moving ahead, perhaps a little slower but constantly moving ahead nevertheless.

And the end product of this dialogue, dissension and co-operation between the rulers and the ruled, will always be a much better product than ever totalitarian societies can achieve. Since the final product has had the benefit of much greater input of ideas and science from the entire population.

Totalitarian governments like Singapore on the other hand do not have the benefit of public debate on matters of policy; causing them to remain in a state of permanent handicap as compared to democracies. In totalitarian countries like Singapore, the population who may have better ideas and better methods on government policy are denied the opportunity of uttering it. Such governments, in their arrogance, believe that they alone know best about everything, and therefore, there is no need to consult the people. And by doing so, they effectively deny themselves a wealth of new ideas and alternative viewpoints, which could have benefited the country immensely.

The reader by now knows that Singapore is a totalitarian dictatorship under the perpetual rule of the Lee family, since 1959! Not dissimilar to Cuba under the Castro family, or Zimbabwe under the Mugabe family. In Singapore the government, instead of respect for its people has only derision and scorn. Lee Kuan Yew had made that very clear when he declared in Parliament that he considered Singaporeans his "digits". Needless to say one can hardly have respect for a "digit". Indeed even if you try very hard, it is impossible to respect a "digit". And since you are no better than one, in Lee's eyes, you cannot expect him to listen to you.

In Singapore, every newspaper, TV station, radio station, magazine, any publication of any sort is entirely owned and controlled by the government, which has unashamedly said that the Singapore media is a tool for "nation building". Another way of saying that what it publishes is government propaganda. You guessed it. Just like the North Korean, "Pyongyang Inquirer" daily.

Therefore in Singapore, deprived of the input of an entire population, the government decides on policies and their execution entirely upon a select number of government ministers and civil servants. A very small brain pool, without the benefit of the ideas of the population as a whole. In addition to the government not benefiting from the views of society, this looking down by the government upon their people and treating them like them "digits" causes a number of other negative consequences.

For one thing, the educated among Singaporeans feel insulted by their government's choosing to silence their views, causing them to disengage from participating in government policies and inducing indifference and apathy about politics. They begin to feel being treated no better than children, by a government which thinks it knows best about everything; as if they know nothing at all. They feel a sense of alienation in their own country, with government ministers showering praise upon themselves through their state controlled newspapers on a daily basis; and as if the ordinary Singaporeans never mattered at all!

In this situation, as in Singapore, the government has no respect for their people, and the people have no respect for their government. In the end, the people, unable to feel a sense of belonging in their country, with arrogant rulers like these, either withdraw completely from government participation or they leave Singapore permanently to settle elsewhere.

The reason why countries such as Singapore refuse to entertain the views of the masses through public debate must be obvious by now. If Lee allows free dialogue, there may be people out there, with better ideas, and this may result in their being overthrown. This selfish fear, prevents them from allowing debate, even though they know that shutting out debate is damaging to interests of the country.

Democracies on the other hand work entirely differently. Having been elected into government through free and fair elections, they have both the respect and moral authority to rule; unlike in Singapore where the government remains in power by rigging the elections. Where fear causes the government to keep the people at bay; hoping that they will always remain "digits".

And because of this unhealthy relationship between the people and their government in Singapore; the complete lack of support from one prong of government, their people; means that forever, these governments will continue to be deprived of the thinking and ideas of an entire population; thereby reducing the pool of ideas from which to choose for better governance.

Democracies with better educated people will always be one step ahead because they have much more resources from their partners in government, their people.

And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Reading the numerous reports of the state controlled paper The Straits Times, the last one being "Singapore's new home grown legal team" dated April 16, 2008, praising the new Tamil Law Minister K Shanmugam sky high, for all his achievements both true and made up, I am prompted to write this.

Singapore is different things to different people. If you are a Singaporean, born and bred in Singapore, educated; a self respecting proud human being; living in Singapore is a pain. A pain because you are, as Lee Kuan Yew correctly put it many years ago when describing Singaporeans, a "digit". To be precise, Lee Kuan Yew's "digit". To live a life according to his terms, not yours. In a country where everything is in Lee's hands; the judiciary, Parliament, Constitution, the extent of your rights, provided you have any; where you live to work at the pleasure of Lee Kuan Yew. In other words a slavish poodle like existence. That is why many educated and discerning people emigrate, never to return. Living in Singapore for them has become intolerable. They no longer are willing to live as "digits".

Then there are Singaporeans born and bred in Singapore, highly educated, patriotic; wanting to change Singapore into a better place than what it is. A better place for them and their descendants. These are the brave admirable men and women who suffer great hardships and yet persist in their work to bring democracy to Singapore. Men and women such as Dr. Chee Soon Juan, repeatedly jailed and bankrupted because of his demand for democracy in his country.

Others such as Gandhi Ambalam, Yap Keng Ho, CheeSiok Chin, John Tan, SeelanPalay and countless others who have sacrificed a great deal and willing to sacrifice even more for what they believe in, which is freedom. These men and women hate living under tyranny too. But the difference in their case being, they are ready to stay behind and fight for change despite all odds. Great respected men and women. One cannot help but to admire their persistence, courage and tenacity. Admirable indeed.

Then there are the expatriates. British, Australians or Germans, whatever. To them Singapore is just a place to make money, either for themselves or for their European multi national companies. It makes no difference to them if they were in Kigali, Belgian Congo, or Singapore. It is all the same. They are not interested in local politics, since it does not concern them. Whether there is democracy, whether there is none; whether they cane people or they do not; whether they hang 20 year old boys for petty drug offenses or they don't; whether they jail innocent street protesters or they don't; none of this bothers them. After all it is not their country.

For these European expatriates, Singapore is one of the best places in the world. Many willing Singapore women to be had, a low crime rate, good pay, hot humid weather permitting flimsy clothing especially for women, unlimited alcohol and a friendly people. What more can a European man want; or for that matter any man. Singapore for them is a paradise.

Then there are the disgraceful ones like the new Minister for Law K Shanmugam. Like a prostitute who has just undressed ready to be ravished by her paying customer, K Shanmugam is seen with all smiles in the state controlled newspaper, jubilant that the is now the new Minister. He has also prepared himself, just as the prostitute who has stripped and waiting to be ravished; prepared himself to spend an entire career in the service of his master Lee Kuan Yew. Prepared to contort himself into obscene legal positions to please his master; to say that detention without trial is good, even if he thinks it is not; the Dr. CheeSoo Juan is a liar and a cheat after all, even if he thinks he is not; that no permits should be given to the opposition to say or do anything, even if he thinks they should; that freedom of assembly and speech does not exist, even if he thinks it does. All said to please his master Lee Kuan Yew, because his master wants them said.

In other words, K Shanmugam, the new Tamil Indian Law Minister stands now, ready and willing to spend an entire career prostituting himself for the pleasure of his master Lee Kuan Yew; just as the woman who had taken her clothes off waiting to be ravaged. And in fact, this man K Shanmugam is even more disgraced than the prostitute waiting for her client to ravish her. She may do it for once and stop. In his case, he is prepared to be abused the remainder of his working life! A shameless unconditional undertaking to Lee Kuan Yew to say or do anything he wants, regardless of how obscenely unconscionable or disgusting the demand may be!

In this class of the disgraced people, we can add all the judges in Singapore whose job it is to distort the law for the political ends of Lee; the civil servants who favor the ruling party as against the opposition, the police who carry out the orders of arrest and intimidation against Lee's opponents, and all other manner of people who benefit through nepotism and connections with the establishment. They are all prostitutes who shamelessly sell their conscience for the right price. The sort that K Shanmugam is.

To borrow a phrase form David Marshall, the first Chief Minister of Singapore, these "poor prostitutes", the shameless type of the new Tamil Minister for Law, K Shanmugam, like the expatriates, also love Singapore. To prostitute himself for the rest of his working life for the pleasure of Lee Kuan Yew, this Tamil is paid several million dollars a year.

And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.

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About Me

Determined to find the Truth.
Born Singapore, educated Winstedt School 2 (next to Monks Hill in Newton, Singapore) Raffles Institution, National Service, some travel in Europe, then law studies England, return to Singapore, practiced for 10 years, active Workers Party member, stood elections 1988 and 1991 in Singapore, was harassed and persecuted by Lee Kuan Yew for my political beliefs, left for USA, obtained asylum and admitted California State Bar, practice law ever since in Fremont California near San Francisco. Relinquished Singapore citizenship 2005 because I was not prepared to permit Lee Kuan Yew to unjustly retain my CPF funds if I remained Singapore Citizen. On principle, the only correct thing for me to do was to give it up, for my CPF funds. I am an American Citizen as of 2004.